Cairo International Airport

Enjoy the Breath-Taking Pyramids of Egypt via CAIRO (CIA) Airport

Cairo International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Egypt. It is in the north east of the capital city of Egypt, Cairo. It is approximately 15 kilometers from the central business district of Cairo. It occupies an area of about 37 square kilometers. Cairo International Airport is the second busiest airport in whole of Africa after the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a major hub for Egyptian Air Express and Egyptian air.

History

Cairo International airport came into existence in the 1940s during the Second World War. The American air force established a base five kilometers from the Almaza airport. The real reason for the establishment of the base was to serve the Alliance during the war. After the war, the Americans left the base. They did not want to interfere with the operation of the Almaza airport.

After the war in 1945, the Civil Aviation Authority took over the air base and gave it to the International Civil Aviation to manage and run it. Its initial name was King Farouk 1st Airport. The airport was to accommodate international flights. When this airport commenced its operations, the air traffic was about 200,000 passengers annually. The peak hours could reach approximately 200 passengers per hour. Due to this and unforeseen congestion, some research on expansion was done and gave an insight in 1955. The research came with the conclusion to add a new hall that would accommodate more passengers. The work to construct a new hall began in 1957. By the beginning of the 1970s, the transport rates went up to 55%. This increase called for construction of a new hall. The new hall construction began in 1977 and ended in 1979. In 1980, the third hall was constructed.

Currently the Egyptian Holding company for airports and air navigation manages and runs the airport. The company controls Cairo Airport Company, the National Air Navigation Services and aviation information, Cairo airport authority, and the Egyptian Airports company.

Fleet

Numerous aircrafts operate from this airport. They fly to numerous destinations throughout the world. Some of these fleets are Aeroflot, Aegean airlines, Afrique airways, Air Algerie, Air France, and Air Arabia. Others are Alexandria airlines, Ethiopian airlines, Kuwait airways, Iraqi airways, Jazeera airways, Gulf airways, and Flynas.

Awards

Cairo International Airport has received several accolades. These awards include the following:

· It was one of the top three most improved airports by the Skytrax World airport Awards in 2013.

· It was the second best airport in Africa in Airport Service Quality awards by Airports Council International in 2011.

There are many ways you can access Cairo International Airport. One of the best ways of accessing the airport is by use of limousine services. You can access the limousine services at the front of all the terminals. The limousines are very convenient. The groupings of limousines are according to luxury classes. There are four categories of the limousines, the category A, B, C, and D. Distance will determine the rates.

Routes and Destinations

Several airlines ply their route via Cairo International Airport. These airlines include:

Passenger airlines - Airlines that specialize in passengers are Aegean Airline, Aeroflot, Afriqiyah Airline, Air Algerie, Air Arabia, Air France, Air Egypt, British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, and Etihad Airways. Others are Ethiopian Airlines, Eritrean Airways, Yemenia, Turkish Airline, Nile Air, Korean Air, and Iraqi Airways among many others. These airlines have routes across all continents of the world.

Cargo planes - The cargo planes that use the airport include the following; Air France Cargo, DHL International Aviation, TMA Cargo, RAM Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Royal Jordanian Cargo, and Emirates Sky Cargo. Others are Lufthansa Cargo, Ethiopian Airline Cargo, Trister Air, and Turkish Airline Cargo. Most of these airlines’ destinations are three continents, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Why fly through this airport

How to check-in

Individuals can check-in through a website, mobile phones or the airport’s counter. The airport has counters for purposes of check-ins. Most if not all of the check-ins are handled personally by an airline itself. Alternatively, an airline can delegate the duty to a handling agent. Remember check-in is a normal procedure at any airport and therefore you should not be worried at all. The different airlines at the airport have regulations that oblige passengers to check-in by specific times before a flight’s departure. This duration can be anything between 15 minutes – 4 hours. It all depends with your destination and the airline you are using.

Baggage and Allowance

For the different rates for different luggage weights, check the airport’s website. If you do not wish to carry a particular baggage, you can handle it to an airline’s cabin. Afterwards, you will be given a boarding pass after which you shall be required to further proceed to the aircraft.

Seating

Confirm your seating position either at the airport’s desk or online. This will help you have an easy time during departure.

Booking Fee

Each airline has different booking fees hence it is important to be familiar with the different booking fees.